Hard water is much more common than soft water. Most households in the United States have hard water and not all of them know it. Basically the difference between hard water and soft water is that hard water has large amounts of magnesium and calcium ions. This article is going to break down some hard water facts, hard water problems and hard water solutions for people who are trying to figure out what to do about their hard water situations.
Hard Water Facts:
Hard water, while high in magnesium and calcium ions, poses no health risk to humans.
Sometimes it is an inordinate amount of iron that causes the water to be hard.
Water is usually made hard by dolomite or limestone dissolving a little bit when water containing carbon dioxide runs through them.
Water hardness can be temporary and be relieved simply by boiling the water.
Hard Water Problems:
Hard water causes insoluble precipitates to build up in pipes and the systems that use hot water (household appliances, etc).
Heating systems are less efficient when the water used by the home is hard water. This makes the cost of heating a home rise considerably. The same can be true for cooling systems that are water dependent.
Hard water does not lather well which makes it hard to clean your home, your dishes, your clothing and even your body. Often people who shower in hard water feel gritty and less clean than they did before they showered.
Clothes do not get as clean when washed in hard water. They usually look dingy and can feel scratchy after being pulled from the washer.
Dishes washed in a dishwasher will usually have spots or a film on them, even after they are passed through the dishwasher.
Hard Water Solutions:
Most people with hard water get a water softener to replace the magnesium and calcium ions with sodium or potassium ions. This makes the hard water less problematic for the home, but more problematic for humans who should not consume water that has been softened.
There are water filters that can be fixed to individual pipes that are made specifically to strain out toxins and chemical components including the magnesium and calcium ions that make hard water problematic. This isn't the same thing as softening water, but it does help relieve the hardness of water.
Knowing hard water facts and the hard water problems that exist in areas that are plagued by hard water can help you reach the hard water solution that is the best for you, your family and your home. While hard water can pose problems for cleaning, there is no evidence so far that it is bad for the health. In fact, there is some evidence to suggest that hard water can be beneficial for the health. The instances of heart problems are lower in areas that have hard water issues. Before you decide that you have hard water problems and are in need of hard water solutions, make sure that you know the basic hard water facts.
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